Sole Survivor: Starting A New Life On A New Planet
by thesoutherncross100
Summary: With his home ravaged by a plague, Bryan Forbes finds himself starting a new life on a life bearing planet full of dinosaurs.
1. Introduction

Most predictions of the end of mankind usually involve either a nuclear bomb or corpses rising from the dead(zombies). But how many have actually realized that those theories are both impractical and are partially based on video game logic? For starters, the cold war has died down a long time ago, and really the only country threatening to unleash Nuclear hell is the DPRK. And if there is one thing everyone knows about the DPRK, it's that their threats are usually empty threats. They know if they launch even one ICBM, the world would annihilate them one way or another.

Zombies or walking corpses on the other hand are really not that feasible. Reanimation in corpses is something which doesn't happen naturally. Anyone smart enough to reanimate corpses would also be smart enough to add an extra mind control function so they can at least control the living dead. That being said, humanity has come close to being wiped out in the past.

Throughout history, plagues have ravaged mankind, and we've darn near died out multiple times. Personally I've never imagined that plagues would one day destroy mankind, given how far medical science has come. Unfortunately for us, we found out nearly two thirds of the world's population was infected with a disease known as PAX-15, an extremely deadly bacteria. I was one of the lucky few who weren't infected. But that was due to the eternity serum, which prevented me from getting sick and dying due to natural causes.


	2. Prologue

**Prologue**

Never would I have imagined that I would one day live in a post-apocalyptic world. Just a few years ago, I was happily enjoying life. I lived in a high rise apartment with my lovely wife Charlotte, my son Kennedy(aged 8), and my daughter Beatrice(aged 7). Our family was perfect. Charlotte and I argued a few times but, we usually reached a compromised solution; the best of both worlds.

That being said, there was one thing which still bugs me to this day. Before the plague struck, I told Charlotte to get herself injected with the eternity serum but she refused, saying that it interrupted the circle of life. Yes it did, but it also prevented us from getting sick or dying due to natural causes. Wasn't eternal life always the goal of the human race?

She wasn't the only one hesitant about getting herself injected. Almost all of the world's population was unwilling. According to the World Health Organization(WHO), only fifty thousand people have had themselves injected before the plague struck. When the plague struck, those not injected including my wife and kids were infected. The disease wasn't noticed at first but when it started killing people, it was too late.

Most of the world's doctors were too skeptical to have themselves injected and they quickly perished. The world changed rapidly, and it soon descended into chaos. People started fighting between each other, families were torn apart, and everyone was being slaughtered left and right. Laws were no longer enforced and governments fell. Even the military and national guard, which was supposed to be keeping the peace in times like these, broke ranks and ran in different directions.

Some officers tried their best to give orders but their men were unwilling to obey or execute those orders. It was every man, women, and child for himself/herself. Some humans like me, were lucky enough to have arms in our possession before the plague outbreak and we had better security compared to the other households. Then, humans began uniting in the face of adversity.

We started trading between one another again, only this time we traded using the old Barter system, not with cash. Things were looking okay for the human race once again when some genius began spreading a rumor that if you ate the flesh of anyone who had been injected with the eternity serum, you too would be cured of the disease. It was not true and my family members all knew about this since we were well educated and informed.

But there were some out there who were a tad bit more ignorant and they believed that bastard's story. Infected began going from door to door, searching for those who were injected with the eternity serum. My neighbor even came after me and I was forced to shoot him along with a few others. Those deranged humans never stopped coming after the vaccinated humans, and it wasn't long before our unity was destroyed.

Then, worse news came. On a bright sunny morning, my wife and kids collapsed in front of me. They had died, courtesy of total organ failure. One single day was all it took for my wife and kids to die, and they died right in front of me. I was devastated! Heartbroken was I that I stopped caring about what was happening. The way I saw the world changed, and I became emotionless and cold.

I raided an abandoned army camp and got myself military grade weapons including a M4A1 carbine with an underslung M203 grenade launcher. I tailored the weapon a little and fitted it with accessories similar to the ones used by Michael P. Murphy in "Lone Survivor" with a few differences(I used an AN/PEQ-15 ATPIAL while he used an AN/PEQ-2 ATPIAL); I also grabbed a Glock 17 Gen 4 handgun and combat knife. Having armed myself with military grade weapons, I went after the bastards who targeted my house.

Some of them were caught off guard when I gunned them down while others tried their best to defend themselves. Those who tried to defend themselves usually charged at me with knives but there were a few who returned fire with pistols and hunting rifles. During my last attack against the savages, I found a flyer on the bastard's living room couch which stated that NASA was preparing to evacuate all uninfected humans onto the International Space Station(ISS).

Avenue of evacuation was Kennedy Space Station, and I quickly arranged for a private charter. Fortunately for me, the companies providing private charters had made sure only vaccinated pilots could fly and that meant my pilots would not drop dead in the middle of my flight. We touched down roughly 21 hours later. I had barely any sleep while flying and jet lag was seriously getting to me.

When I arrived at the space station, there was chaos at the gate. Infected humans were trying their best to push through and NASA security officers were trying their best to keep them at bay. Suddenly, they all came charging towards me. Apparently all infected were becoming hostile towards vaccinated humans. Left with no choice, I unleashed 5.56 caliber lead towards them with my M4A1, causing them to flee in panic.

Unfortunately for me, NASA's shuttles were not prepped just yet and I had to stay. They handed me a new handgun, having noticed my well-worn Glock 17 Gen 4 tucked in my Bianchi Tactical Holster. The gun they gave me was a Swiss made Sphinx SDP handgun fitted with a Surefire X300 tactical light. They gave me a new holster for it too; a G-Code XST RTI Holster attached to a Mule ISS Multi Carry platform also made by G-Code .

Why did they give me a replacement pistol, holster, and magazine? Because they figured I could be of use to them as a base defender.

* * *

March 23rd, 2059. Today was supposed to be any other day. NASA technicians told me the shuttles were still being prepped for takeoff and my job was to go to my defensive post to set up for the day. I wasn't expecting much when I arrived at my post but then, the warning alarm blared. It was quickly followed by a massive breach in the gate and infected began pouring in like Zombies from the film "World War Z".

I and several other security officers opened fire on the humans, who were charging towards our post. One of them ordered me to fire my M203 which I did. A 40mm grenade lands near the breached fence, killing several humans as it exploded. Unfortunately for all of us, the wave of infected was simply too much for us to handle and we were forced to retreat.

Infected began pouring into the visitors center where they looted and stole what they could get before advancing towards the restricted areas. NASA security officers tried their best to hold them off but eventually, they too were overrun. At that moment NASA officials realized there was no way they could launch their shuttles in time and they led me and two other vaccinated survivors towards the hangar bays where they stored their prototype Interstellar Spacecraft.

The spacecraft was essentially an oversized Ranger from Interstellar and they even named it the Ranger. As we arrived, infected suddenly poured out from behind the hangar; they had surrounded us. Nevertheless, I and the two other humans made our way towards the Ranger while our NASA employed escorts opened fire with their pistols. Then, they noticed us climbing up the Ranger.

Everyone knows the US of A was gun ownership haven(with the exception of DC, New York, California and a few others), and here in Florida, gun ownership wasn't too restricted. An infected human fired his Lever Action rifle at us, killing one of the survivors. I manage to enter the Ranger without much issue but the dude behind me had his neck shot off and he died.

Reaching for the door, I shut it with the automated locking system just as an infected stuck his hand through, crushing his hand instantly. By now our escorts were down and I was the sole survivor. The infected formed a circle around my spacecraft, believing I still had a conscience left. Well, they were wrong. I figured out how to power the Ranger and I throttled up, crushing anyone who stood in my way.

The thing was powered by two miniaturized Tokamak Fusion Reactors, which meant I had an almost infinite power supply. Since I had experience piloting aircraft in the past, I taxied the Ranger onto the runway and activated the RCS thrusters, allowing my spacecraft to perform a vertical takeoff much like a chopper. Once I reached a certain altitude, the twin Aerospike Engines kicked in and the Ranger was propelled forward.

I placed the Ranger on a near vertical climb angle and placed the Engines on full power. At that moment, G-Force pushed me into my seat and I was literally shot upwards into space. For as long as I've lived, I've never imagined that I would one day be in Space but here I was, looking at a now spherical Earth. The ISS was just inches away but I figured I would go past the ISS, given the Ranger's Interstellar capabilities.

Sooner or later, the ISS too will be overcrowded, and I don't know about you, but I'd rather not live on a crowded space station for eternity. Where am I going you might ask? Well, the most obvious choice would be Kepler 186-F but I had no guarantee that it would support life. Just a few days before the epidemic, NASA's MIDAS array managed to locate a planet which looked like Cretaceous Era Earth. The array also detected what appeared to be life forms living on said planet.

That planet wasn't named yet but names were the least of my concern. I needed a new planet to call home, and a life bearing planet seemed like a good place to start. I set a course for the planet and let the auto pilot take over the controls. It would take me roughly over a century to get there but thanks to the primitive warp capabilities of the Ranger, I could get there is roughly six years.

However, sitting in a spacecraft with nothing to do other than playing "Plague Inc. Evolved" on my phone(it did not require internet or cell service)would drive me crazy. Fortunately for me, the Ranger had a Hypersleep pod on board. What is a Hypersleep pod? A Hypersleep pod is a pod where, once activated would put you in Stasis or suspended animation. You could not dream but like sleep, it's a quick and short way to skip ahead of time. I set my wakeup time exactly six years from now and went to "sleep".


	3. Unfamiliar Territory

**Chapter 1**

 **Unfamiliar Territory**

Coming out of a six year stasis was not easy for me. When I woke up my head hurt and I felt as if I had a hangover. Fortunately for me, my headache went away quickly and I was able to focus on the task on hand once again. Six years have gone by in an instant and now the Ranger was hovering over the still unnamed life bearing planet. Now all I had to do was to prep myself and land my spacecraft on the planet's surface.

I walked towards the storage area of the Ranger and armed myself with the same M4A1 Carbine I had brought along. Originally I had six magazines remaining but the Ranger had six extras, and I quickly figured out why. Locked away in a survival kit was a XM177 carbine, which was even shorter than my M4A1. Most people would probably ditch the M4A1 and grab the XM177 since it was a tad bit handier and lighter but I thought different.

With a longer barrel came more accuracy and bullet velocity, meaning I did not have to worry too much about bullet drop at distance. Add that with the underslung M203 which provided extra firepower and you'll create an excellent run of the mill weapon system. Gear wise, the storage compartment had plenty to offer. Since I had to run light, I wore a Scalable Plate Carrier(tan colored)with Threat Level V Dragonskin armor plates within. A "Rhodesian Rig" was worn over the plate carrier so I could store my magazines conveniently. I also grabbed an OKC-3S bayonet.

Everything I needed was ready and I slung my carbine in an Over Strong Shoulder Carry(with the carbine in front of my chest)position before sitting down in the cockpit. Suddenly, the collision sensors blared and before I knew what was going on, a mid-sized meteor crashed into my spacecraft. It wasn't big enough to destroy the Ranger, but it destroyed most of my control surfaces and I was now tumbling towards the planet with no way of controlling my vessel.

If I crashed on the planet, radiation created by the Fusion Reactors exploding would cause at least some parts of the planet to be uninhabitable. How could I possibly let that happen? I ejected both cores which exploded seconds later due to built-in self-destruct mechanisms. Once I entered the planet's atmosphere, I activated the self-destruct mode on the Ranger and ejected. Right now, the last thing I wanted was for other sentient creatures to get their hands on spacecraft parts due to an extraterrestrial(I was an extraterrestrial to the local life forms since I was visiting their planet, not the other way around).

* * *

When I landed, I found myself in a barren wasteland. Nothing other than desolate landscape was in sight and all this most likely went on for a few hundred miles. Gut instinct told me to trek westwards and since I had no map, I figured I would trust my gut. Fortunately for me, I had remembered to grab a compass before ditching the Ranger and now I could easily get my bearings.

Currently the sun was over my head, an indication that the local time was roughly 1200 hours. After getting my bearings, I began trekking westwards. Most travellers going through badlands would be packed with supplies but I was running light(on supplies). All I had with me was my M4A1 Carbine, plate carrier, Rhodesian Rig, Butt pack, my Sphinx SDP Pistol and Bianchi Holster, extra magazines for my firearms, 40mm grenades, and Ballistic Kevlar Helmet. By now most of you might be thinking I was destined to die out here but you'd be wrong.

My butt pack did not contain the usual MRE and water. Instead, it contained a Vodka Bottle sized particle accelerator(a mini replicator if you will)which meant I could create whatever I wanted out of literally thin air. I also had six "charger" bottles filled with charged photons so I could recharge the Particle Accelerator when it ran out of charged photons.

The desolate landscape indeed spanned over hundreds of miles as I predicted. It wasn't long before the elements got the better of me and I was forced to sit down and rest. I replicated a bottle of water to rehydrate myself and scanned my surroundings. At first there were no life forms like what the MIDAS arrays detected but then, I found a lone creature walking towards me. It wasn't a humanoid or sentient looking being but a dinosaur.

Crikey! Was I back in the Cretaceous Era? Being awestruck was an understatement. I was shocked! Never did I dream that I would one day come face to face with the creatures of Jurassic Park but here I was, looking at an approaching dinosaur. It was a Theropod of sorts and judging by its size, it wasn't fully grown. My best guess was that it was either a juvenile or adolescent.

Just as it came to an arm's length away from me, it collapsed, seemingly from exhaustion. I got a closer look at the Theropod, which was a young male Deinonychus roughly six years of age. Dehydration seemed to be the cause of this youngster's exhaustion and I gave some water to him, which he quickly gulped down. After resting for several minutes, the young Deinonychus looked at me and, much to my surprise, spoke.

He introduced himself as Amadeus and he told me he had been separated from his parents, who were part of a much larger pack. They had been travelling westwards, following the heels of an Apatosaurus herd. Lucky him, I happened to be travelling in the same direction too. Since I had no idea where I'm supposed to go, I figured I would help him reunite with his pack and hopefully earn myself a position there.

The two of us got up from where we sat and began our trek westwards, searching for the Deinonychus pack of twelve. Roughly three hundred miles of trekking later, we found ourselves in Swampland. No more barren wasteland, just a whole lot of mud pools, murky water, and swampy terrain. To tell you the truth, the swamp made the Bayous of Louisiana seem like a cake walk. There were places where you had to literally go around due to hidden dangers and crocodilians.


	4. A Change Of View

**Chapter 2**

 **A Change Of View**

Deinonychus Antirrhopus, one of the most intelligent dinosaurs. These buggers were the masters of navigating doorways in Jurassic Park. Out in the wild, they are more ferocious than you'd ever think. Back in our world, the kings of the wild(lions and tigers), killed their prey before eating them. But Deinonychus cared more about efficiency than humanity. Yes, they would literally tear their prey alive.

But even I could've never imagined that they would use deception to their advantage. When Amadeus and I finally located the pack, not only weren't they friendly towards me, but Amadeus himself quickly had a change of heart. All twelve of them snarled at me and deployed their killing claws. That ungrateful little prick. Time for me to show my cold blooded side I guess.

 _BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG…_

With each pull of the trigger, my M4A1 Carbine unleashed 5.56 caliber lead in the direction of the now charging Deinonychuses. One by one they went down till none remain. Neither of them stood a chance against my weaponry, not even Amadeus did. I had just wiped out a whole family of Deinonychuses, yet I felt no remorse for doing so. Maybe it's because Amadeus and his parents were ungrateful, or maybe my years of suffering loss have suppressed my emotions.

Whatever the case may be, I've come to terms with the truth. No matter where I go, the killing and slaughtering will follow me. Fine! If I can't escape it then I'll face it. I restarted my trek westwards, only this time I left a bloody trail in my wake. Of course, I didn't simply kill. I still had a conscience of sorts you know. The only dinosaurs I ever targeted were predators, and I only shot them when they threatened me.

I needed to conserve my supplies and going after every single predator, be they solitary or pack hunting, wasn't something I could do, not with the limited ammunition stock I had. My encounter with the Deinonychus pack also changed the way I approached local life. Instead of welcoming them with open arms, I felt wary whenever a dinosaur approached me, even if it was a herbivore.

Some might say I'm getting a little paranoid but the added security was justified. I'm here to start a new life, not to become Sirloin Steak for T. Rex. I've also become much more of a loner. There were more than a few friendly offers by dinosaurs to join their herd but I declined all of them, telling them that I was a lone traveller who didn't like company.

That being said, I did help dinosaurs in distress whenever I encountered them. Most of them were usually headed westwards but there were a few headed in other directions, forcing me to deviate from my projected route. Nevertheless, I travelled as far westwards as I could. My gut told me paradise was at the end of the road but personally, I had no idea what this "paradise" was.

* * *

Honestly speaking, giant T. Rexes and pack hunting Deinonychuses did not scare me the most. My rifle could fend off the smaller ones and the underslung M203 could deal with the bigger beasts. What I could NOT deal with my weapons was Mother Nature itself. Earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, volcano eruptions, hurricanes, you name it. All those scare me down to the bone, especially since I have no shelter to hide in if disasters like these struck.

That's why when I felt a tremor; I thought my life was over. Not so overly religious me was praying for salvation from god himself. Well, turns out that tremor was merely an aftershock and salvation wasn't really needed. Wait a minute! If I could feel an aftershock, that means I'm close enough to the epicenter of a massive clash of continents.

My mind felt conflicted. On one hand I did not want to deviate from my path but my conscience told me the survivors probably needed help. Fortunately for me, trekking westwards led me directly to the site of the Clash Of Continents. Holy balls, that quake seriously tore up the land. What was once a single continent was divided by cracks and crevasses, some of them untraversable.

One crack stood out. It was a literal divide too wide for anyone to cross. It didn't block my path westwards but it was indeed a hell of a sight to see. There weren't many bodies lying around but I suspect the more unfortunate victims fell down into the cracks and crevasses when they found themselves at the wrong place at the wrong time. Just then, I caught sight of something on the ground.

Footprints, heavily faded from being washed by the rain. It originated from a young Sauropod and it was searching for something. How did I know it was searching for something? It's simple really. The footprints were going left, right, and center every few seconds, meaning the youngling was searching rather than trekking. Well, it didn't take long for me to find the young Sauropod.

When I found it though, I was not expecting it to be lying beside the corpse of its long late mother. For the first time in my life, I was seeing a young dinosaur mourning the death of its mother. At that moment, with no warning, my emotions came rushing back to me. Tears flowed freely from my eyes and I felt sympathy for the poor youngster. No one else was there to comfort him and he alone was bearing the loss.

I repositioned my rifle to an Over Strong Shoulder Reverse Carry(rifle slung on my back) position to present a friendlier image of myself before approaching the youngling, who was sobbing uncontrollably. Nothing could've prepared me for what happened after I made contact with the young Sauropod, which was a male Apatosaurus for those wanting to know the exact species and gender.


	5. Littlefoot

**Chapter 3**

 **Littlefoot**

 **"** **Psst."**

 **"** **Hey."**

 **"** **Psst, can you hear me?"**

I was trying my best to get the youngling's attention but words alone weren't going to work apparently. A nudge I gave and he slowly turned his head to face me. A sad expression could be seen on the young Apatosaurus' face, and he was both tearing and sobbing uncontrollably.

 **"** **Care to tell me what your name is?"** I asked.

 **"** **Littlefoot…"** he sobbed.

 **"** **Hi there, Littlefoot. I'm Bryan. Is everything alright?"**

 **"** **I think so…"**

 **"** **Can you tell me where I should go? I just arrived here and I have no idea where I'm supposed to be headed towards."**

 **"** **The Great Valley seems like a good idea."**

 **"** **Are you headed there as well?"**

 **"** **Yeah, I'm just waiting for mother to wake up."**

 **"** **Oh…"** I struggled to contain my emotions. **"How naïve…"**

Littlefoot had no idea his mother had passed, and he still believed she was merely taking a nap. When I asked him if he knew about the circle of life, he said he didn't, meaning his mother never got the chance to tell him about it before she passed. Now the responsibility of explaining the circle of life lay on my shoulders and I did exactly that. I told him how everyone started life as and how no one lives on forever.

The more I continued my explanation, the more emotional he became. When I explained to him that life can be ended abruptly as a result of predator attacks, he began crying. For those wondering, I did also reveal to him that I was injected with the eternity serum and that I was indeed, breaking the circle of life in a way.

 **"** **But remember, Littlefoot."** I squatted down beside the young Apatosaurus. **"You have to keep finding something to fight for."**

 **"** **But I have nothing else left to fight for."** He muttered. **"My mother is dead, I have no father. I'm an orphan. Before she died, mother told me being the life of an orphan was a very harsh one."**

 **"** **Not if you have an adoptive parent."**

 **"** **Like someone is going to adopt me…"**

He was right, there was really no one out here to adopt him. There were no dinosaurs anywhere near us, let alone Sauropods. Then, something clicked in my mind. Why don't I become his adoptive parent. No. A human adopting a dinosaur? That's nuts! But if not me then who else? Littlefoot needed someone to turn to, and that someone is me.

 **"** **You're looking at him, kid."** I slowly said.

 **"** **Huh?"** he replied. **"You mean… You're willing to adopt me?"**

 **"** **I've already lost everything just like you. Honestly speaking, I can't bear to see another youngling lose his/her life; you included."**

 **"** **But what about mother?"**

 **"** **She hasn't left you, y'know?"**

 **"** **What do you mean?"**

 **"** **Physically, she's gone. But her spirit continues to dwell among us, and she's looking out for you from beyond the world we live in."**

Both of us hugged each other in an embrace. It was at this moment when Littlefoot called me "dad" for the first time. My eyes were watery. After all the loss I've suffered, I felt warmth once again. No longer was I trekking alone, for now I had a young Apatosaurus by my side. We left the area where we sat and started the long trek westwards, in search of the Great Valley.

What is the Great Valley? According to the legend(which Littlefoot told me), it had more greenery than any herbivore could eat, and it had more fresh water than anyone could ever drink. Sounds like a real life paradise to me. I repositioned my rifle back to an Over Strong Shoulder Carry Position to give myself better access to my weapon system should the need arise.

The cracks and crevasses dotting the epicenter of the Earthquake disappeared slowly and as we walked further and further away, all that remained along our path was a wide gorge too big for either of us to cross. Of course, it was going westwards just like us but it wasn't blocking our path. If we had been northbound at the time then the gorge would indeed be an obstacle but we weren't.

Boredom however, was a real issue for both of us. Unlike going on a road trip, where we could listen to music while riding shotgun, there was nothing we could do out here. If I placed my earphone in my left ear(birth defect on my right ear prevents me from hearing anything on the right ear), I would not be able to hear approaching predators, and that compromised our security.

Some might tell me to play "Plague Inc. Evolved" on my phone. No thank you! I'd much rather be bored than be ambushed while holding a phone. I decide to strike up a conversation with my newly adopted son to get to know him better and pass the time.

 **"** **So uhm Littlefoot,"** I said. **"What is your age?"**

 **"** **Around five star days…"** he answered.

At first I had no idea what star day meant but I quickly figured it out, courtesy of logical thinking. Star days equated to birthdays in local language(which was fairly similar to our English)and five star days equals to five birthdays, which means the young Apatosaurus was five years old.

 **"** **Five years old…"** I sighed. **"I should really touch up my local dialect."**

 **"** **What do you mean?"** he asked.

 **"** **I told you before, I'm a visitor and I have no idea what the local dialect is. You guys have your ways of describing things and some words you use are different compared to mine."**

 **"** **Like what?"**

 **"** **How you describe the sun and moon. You call it the bright circle and night circle."**

 **"** **Ahh…"** Littlefoot curiously glared at my M4A1 Carbine. **"What's that?"**

 **"** **M4A1 Carbine with a mix mash of SOPMOD Block 1 and 2 kits."** I allowed the curious child to get a closer look of my weapon. **"Highly modular weapon system capable of killing things at long range. Two triggers on this weapon system. One here by the pistol grip fires the rifle itself and the second one, in front of the mag well fires the M203 grenade launcher."**

 **"** **How far?"**

 **"** **Far enough that threats here won't touch me. I can reach out to three hundred yards or more with this."**

 **"** **W-Will it kill Sharptooth?"**

 **"** **Sharptooth?"**

 **"** **Big green meat eater who walks on two feet, has tiny hands. He killed my mother."**

 **"** **Tyrannosaurus Rex? M203 will kill it. No, it will literally blow its head clean off if I hit the right spot."**

Hang on a minute… Did Littlefoot say "Sharptooth" killed his mother? If so, that means our trek to the Great Valley ain't gonna be easy. The biggest living thing I've ever downed was an Elephant during a population control hunt, and I downed the thing with a .700 Nitro Express rifle, not a M203 grenade launcher. Now I know some of you might be wondering why I'm a little nervous.

For a M406 40mm grenade fired out of a M203 to explode, it would have to travel a certain distance to arm itself. The minimum arming distance was 14 meters and that meant any close on engagement with Sharptooth would not allow me to fire my grenades. There was also a possibility that Sharptooth might detect my presence when I fired the M203 since it made a loud "Thump" when fired.


	6. Arrogance Goes A Long Way

**Chapter 4**

 **Arrogance Goes A Long Way**

As the two of us continued our trek westwards, the gorge still remained for some odd reason. We've been walking for hundreds of miles already and that bloody thing was still on our right flank. Oh well, at least it wasn't blocking our path westwards. Littlefoot noticed that I wasn't just packing a rifle with an underslung grenade launcher. Strapped onto my thigh was a G-Code XST RTI which contained a Sphinx SDP pistol fitted with a Surefire X300 tactical light.

Also on my person was a sheath strapped on my belt which contained an OKC-3S bayonet made by Ontario Knife Works. The bayonet didn't really draw Littlefoot's attention since it was like a claw on steroids in his eyes. What DID catch his attention was my pistol. He never expected a firearm could be made smaller than a rifle since he thought all the extras I had attached on my M4A1 were standard on every gun. I showed him how my weapons worked and listed down the pros and cons of each weapon system.

Some might think Littlefoot would doze off or lose interest half way through but he never did. Every word I said, every finger point I made was noted by him. Never once did he peer away except during a few moments when we heard some noises. That is, unless you count the fact that a young Triceratops named Cera was nearby. As I loaded a M406 grenade into my M203 to show the youngling how the grenade launcher worked, he swung his head away and shouted.

 **"** **Cera!"**

Less than fifty yards away from me and standing near the edge of the gorge was a young Triceratops with a shade of orange. She scoffed at Littlefoot when she saw him, giving me the impression that she was arrogant and had a big ego.

 **"** **What do you want?"**

 **"** **Nothing…"**

 **"** **Where are you headed?"** I asked.

 **"** **I'm going to find my OWN kind. They're on the other side."** Cera took note of me. Like most dinosaurs, she had never seen a human before. **"What are you supposed to be?"**

 **"** **Just a traveller. Call me Bryan."**

 **"** **Well, goodbye I guess. I have a divide to cross."**

 **"** **You can't cross over."** Littlefoot explained. **"It's too wide and too deep."**

 **"** **Maybe YOU can't."**

I shook my head when I heard Cera's response. She was indeed no more than a big egoed braggart. No respect for others, just caring for self-preservation. She declined Littlefoot's offer to join us for the journey. Her reason? Triceratopses never travel with other species, dinosaurs and humans included. She even went as far as to say that Triceratopses only communicated with members of their own kind.

Whatever. I couldn't care less about someone like her. Littlefoot on the other hand, thought differently. She reinforced the truth that segregation was a real thing here on Planet Jurassic and he tried his best to deal with it. A frown returned on his face and he lowered his head. Poor thing, you can't blame him for not understanding how arrogant and big egoed Cera really was.

 **"** **Don't take her words seriously."** I gave Littlefoot a pat on the neck to comfort him. **"She's just a big egoed arrogant prick."**

 **"** **My mother once said different creatures never talked with anyone."** He responded. **"Is it true?"**

 **"** **If it was true, I wouldn't have adopted you now, would I? Segregation is very real here on Planet Jurassic. You dinosaurs need to understand that being bigoted is not the way to go. Bigotry and lack of interspecies relations is what led to the downfall of many beings, humans included."**

 **"** **What's downfall?"**

 **"** **The decline and end of something. Can be used to describe a person, an ideology, a species, or a country."**

The more "humanized" words I used, the more questions I got from Littlefoot. I wasn't annoyed or irritated by his repeated questioning though. In fact, I was glad he had that level of curiosity and inquisitive attitude. Before I thought I would never be able to pass on the legacy of the human race but now, I think I just found my candidate.

 **"** **Wait…"** Littlefoot glared at me. **"Downfall of humans… That means your kind has… ended?"**

 **"** **Plague, interspecies conflict, and cannibalism."** I explained. **"Earth, the place where humans came from was devastated by PAX-15, a highly lethal bacterium. Immunity came in the form of injecting oneself with the eternity serum. I was one of the few who got injected. Then some genius told everyone that eating flesh of those injected would cure them of the disease. Guess how that turned out."**

 **"** **Humans killed each other."**

 **"** **Exactly. I once had a family too y'know?"**

 **"** **Really?"**

 **"** **My son and daughter were too young to be injected while my wife was hesitant because she didn't trust medical technology. All of them died right in front of me. Two days later my mother and brother died."**

 **"** **What about your dad?"**

 **"** **He's an asshole. That part of my legacy is something I do not wish to share."**

Some might ask where do I draw the line for curiosity and most should know by now. My history and relationship with my father is something I want to keep a secret. If possible, I would've loved to tell everyone I did not know who my father was but lying makes me feel guilt.


	7. Newcomers

**Chapter 5**

 **Newcomers**

The sun was over the western horizon, an indication that night was not far away. Littlefoot and I were hoping to find a place to settle down for the night before we continued the journey. Both of us would've loved to trek through the night but fatigue, predators, and lack of night vision equipment were reasons we chose not to. Sure, I had a Surefire X300 attached to my Sphinx SDP pistol, but I'd rather not walk around with a flashlight since it was a beacon for predators to attack more than anything else.

Thankfully for the both of us, Littlefoot spots what appeared to be an oasis of sorts just ahead of us. We entered the oasis and found ourselves in what I called "mini paradise". There were trees and bushes growing, and there were water reeds too. A waterfall provided water to the area, and I decide to take a bath while Littlefoot feasted on the leaves.

I also gave my weapons a bath, soaking them in the water and applying Q20 multipurpose lube to protect them from rust(I applied the lube on dry land to prevent myself from polluting the fresh water). The fresh soak was something I had craved for in a long time and thank heavens I got my wish. Ah, I almost forgot. I should be checking on Littlefoot now, should I? Last time he and I made contact he was walking towards the riverbank.

When I returned to his side, he was frowning. A young female Saurolophus was trying her best to get his attention but all she got was a tear which fell loosely from the young Apatosaurus' left eye. What was he thinking about now?

 **"** **Who are you?"** I asked the young Saurolophus.

 **"** **Oh, I didn't notice you."** She giggled. **"I'm Ducky."**

 **"** **Call me Bryan."** I turn my attention back on Littlefoot. **"Littlefoot, is everything alright?"**

 **"** **Mother…"** he sniffled. **"The scene of her death keeps flashing, over and over again in front of me."**

 **"** **Aww, hush now…"** I wrapped my hand around the young fella's neck and gave him a hug to comfort him. **"It's okay…"**

 **"** **It is NOT okay. Mother is gone, and she won't come back. I know you're my adoptive father but… I miss her so much."**

 **"** **I miss my family too, y'know?"**

For a moment, both Littlefoot and I realized we weren't that much different from each other. Apart from the fact that we were totally different species who were never supposed to meet each other, we were facing similar situations. Both of us have lost our loved ones and we were very far from home and comfort. Sure, I was his adoptive father and he was my adoptive son, but this was the first time we've actually realized this. Kinda weird isn't it?

Ducky was surprised when she found out I was Littlefoot's adoptive father and she bombarded me with questions which I gladly answered to satisfy her thirst for knowledge. She accepted our offer to join the group and off we went, once again trekking towards the Great Valley. We didn't get far before we encountered another creature; a young Pteranodon to be exact.

While attempting to make a meal out of an elastic vine, Littlefoot yanked it back with all of his might, unintentionally causing the young Pteranodon to tumble down and land on his face. The young Pteranodon smiled in an attempt to tone down the shock but Littlefoot screamed, releasing the vine and sending the youngling into the air. He screamed and flapped around comically in a vain attempt to stop himself before falling through the ground and creating a hole of sorts.

I slowly advanced towards the hole, rifle in the low ready position.

 **"** **Hey there."** I glared down into the hole and lowered my rifle, having realized that the Pteranodon was no threat to me or the younglings. **"What is your name?"**

 **"** **M-My name's Petrie."** He nervously introduced himself.

 **"** **Petrie huh?"** I chuckled. **"Come on out, we don't mean any harm."**

With a little assistance from Ducky(who came to help), Petrie emerged from the hole where we got a better look at him. We also figured out why he lacked the ability to fly; Aerophobia. Us being us, we teased him and goaded him into an attempted flight, which he failed miserably. All our teasing was in good spirits however, no hard feelings between each other.

He readily accepted our offer to join the travelling group and we were off. An adult human escorting four young dinosaurs to a literal paradise of the land, now that's something you don't see every day.


	8. Cera's Return

**Chapter 6**

 **Cera's Return**

Night was challenging, both for me and the young dinosaurs. Our view of the surrounding area was hindered by darkness and neither of us had any night vision equipment. I could use my Surefire E2D Defender flashlight but it would be a beacon for predators to strike. There was no other alternative. We had to trek through darkness until we found ourselves a perfect place to settle for the night.

However the night was starting to get unnerving for all of us. For most of their lives, the young dinosaurs did very little night trekking and when they did, their parents were usually by their side. I on the other hand, was an avid outdoorsman who spent days or weeks camping up in the hills. But even I was starting to get a little paranoid because back on Earth, the only predators I had to deal with while camping(depending on location)were boars, bears, tigers, and cougars, which I could dispatch with a .44 magnum revolver.

Out here, every predator was a Theropod of sorts, and everyone knows how agile they were. You'd have to be a crack shot to be able to hit them on the first go. By crack shot I mean Carlos Hathcock or Chris Kyle level of marksmanship. Alright fine, add Simo Hayha into the mix as well since he had 505 confirmed kills as a sniper. Fortunately for all of us, Littlefoot spots a cave just to the right of us, which we immediately entered to seek shelter from the rain, which had just begun pouring down on us.

The minute we entered the cave, we were greeted with an eerily quiet atmosphere. No sounds, not even bugs or small creatures chirping. It was too quiet for Littlefoot and I, and both of us suspected something was amiss. Well, we quickly figured out why.

 **"** **Dimetrodon."** I whispered before pointing towards a lizard like creature with a sail on its back. **"My estimates, it's no more than sixty yards away."**

 **"** **What do we do?"** Littlefoot asked.

 **"** **Keep your wits about. No need to be worried about a slow lumbering lizard creature."**

 _BANG_

Crosshairs aligned, hands steady, gentle tug of the trigger, down the Dimetrodon went. It stood no chance against my rifle, not if I shot it in the head anyways. Not an ounce of emotion could be seen on my face as I lowered my rifle. The threat was neutralized, who cares about its wellbeing anyways? Ducky and Petrie were a bit disturbed with my lack of emotion when it came to killing but Littlefoot had gotten used to it by now. He didn't even finch when I shot the Dimetrodon.

We were about to move on when a scream caught our attention. It came from deeper within the caves and it sounded an awful lot like Cera's screams. Barely seconds later, she emerged and darn near rammed into us. We leapt out of the way seconds before she crashed into us and she rammed the Dimetrodon carcasses instead. All of us gathered round her as she caught her breath. I was quick to notice an expression of fear on Cera's face, which quickly turned into an expression of relief.

 **"** **Cera! It's you!"** Littlefoot exclaimed. **"Why are you so frightened?"**

 **"** **Me? Frightened?"** she laughs his claim off. **"You should be frightened though."**

 **"** **Why?"**

 **"** **I… Found… Sharptooth!"**

The mere mention of the word "Sharptooth" sends chills down everyone's spines. Well, almost everyone's. While Ducky and Petrie hid behind his legs, Littlefoot glared at Cera, dismissing her claims as false. She shot back with a claim of her own(that Sauropods had very small brains). Then, I chimed in. No words came out of my mouth though, just a chuckle.

 **"** **What are you laughing about, Bryan?"** Cera asked.

 **"** **The fact that I smell a liar."** I shot her a smug look. **"And that liar is you."**

 **"** **Are you…"**

 **"** **Yes. That being said, you were spooked by something. Tell me what it was."**

 **"** **Spooked? I wasn't spooked by anything."**

 **"** **Then why were you running and screaming? Reminds me of cowards y'know?"**

Littlefoot gave me a "bad idea man" glare. He told me later that only those with a death wish would call a Triceratops a liar or coward. Heh, whatever. Cera WAS a liar and a coward. She may look tough on the outside, but that's because of her arrogance and big ego.

 **"** **You're just trying to make me look bad!"** she scowled.

 **"** **Really?"** I shot her a smug look. **"Then explain why you were running and screaming."**

 **"** **T-There was a cave in."**

 **"** **LIES! You're talking to an experienced outdoorsman with years of experience. If there really was a cave in, then why isn't this cave crumbling, and why don't I see stones rolling all over the place? EHHH?"**

My words were getting on Cera's nerves and she was finding it increasingly hard to lie while I was around. She roared(more like screamed)and prepared to charge in an attempt to intimidate me. That little move of hers was not going to move me, not if I had a rifle or training in hand-to-hand combat. She figured out a mock charge wasn't moving me and she charged, for realzies too. I fired two shots in her path, causing her to make a sudden change in direction.

Ducky, who happened to be standing on one end of a plank, was catapulted deeper into the cave when Cera rammed into the opposite end. Oh great, looks like we'll have to go find her. Thanks Cera! Thanks for nothing!


	9. Confrontation

**Chapter 7**

 **Confrontation**

Without hesitation, everyone including Cera began following the path Ducky took. We had to locate her as quickly as we could before predators turned her into Sirloin Steak. Cera was being awfully quiet, not opening her mouth except when Littlefoot asked her if she had found Ducky, which she usually responded with a resounding "No" or "Nope". Finally some peace and quiet for me.

Per usual, I was leading the search effort. Using my experience gained over the years, I predicted a possible area of landing. Me being at the tip also served as a deterrent to predators since word was getting around that someone with "advanced weaponry" was killing predators left and right every day. There was however, one thing my "advanced weaponry" could not overcome. That would be the dense vegetation at the other end of the cave.

By god, you could barely walk through, much less navigate. I drew my OKC-3S bayonet and began hacking a path through. Should've been packing a machete now, shouldn't I? At any rate, we held our own despite the dense foliage and we were slowly making our way towards Ducky's predicted landing zone. A few minutes in, and Cera's mouth began blurting out words like an M240 machine gun.

 **"** **Finally you're doing something for the group."** She berated me.

 **"** **Riiight…"** I raised my bayonet and hacked away at yet more foliage. **"Like you did anything for the group."**

 **"** **You're in my way, Mister."**

 **"** **Pardon the rather large body, Miss Cera. Why don't you walk a little to the left then."**

 **"** **And what? Smash my way through?"**

 **"** **Nope. Just open your mouth and eat your way through."**

My smartass remarks were getting on Cera's nerves. She grumbled and rolled her eyes in dissatisfaction. Those remarks however, were earning me a few laughs from Littlefoot and his friends. In every argument I had with Cera, I always worked my way around her words with my smartass remarks. Unfortunately for me, I too had my moments of brain farts.

While I continued to hack a path through the dense undergrowth, I had a case of target fixation. I had been so focused on hacking the leaves that I forgot to check where I placed my leg. As expected, I tripped over something and fell, still gripping the bayonet in my hand. Behind me, Cera burst out laughing and the others were struggling to hold back their own giggles too. It wasn't funny to me in the least bit.

I wasn't worried about my ego but the safety of others. My right hand was gripping my bayonet at the time of my fall and right now my main concern was whether or not anyone had been unintentionally stabbed.

 **"** **Bryan!"** Ducky shouted. **"You just stepped on Spike!"**

My eyes widened in horror as my worse fear seemed to have been realized. If I "stepped" on a living breathing dinosaur, there was a good chance my bayonet went six inches deep into the poor thing. Fortunately for me, no harm was done to "Spike", a mute hatchling Stegosaurus Ducky had found. The reason he wasn't harmed? My bayonet gripping position.

At the time of my fall, I was gripping the bayonet in a "Hammer Grip" and when I fell, the side of the blade smacked into Spike's back. If I had been holding the bayonet in an Icepick Grip, I would've stabbed him and killed him there and then.

 **"** **Oopsies I guess…"** I placed the bayonet back in its scabbard. By now we were in the clear, and there was really no need for me to hack foliage. **"How old is the young fella, Ducky?"**

 **"** **He just hatched…"** she answered. **"And I told him he could come with us to the Great Valley."**

 **"** **Oh no!"** Cera exclaimed. **"He isn't!"**

 **"** **Excuse me?"** I sarcastically cleared my throat. **"Miss Cera, are you the leader of the group?"**

 **"** **Not really."**

 **"** **Then shut the fuck up, lest you want me to slice you up."**

 **"** **Spiketails eat a whole lot more than we do. If we let Spike here follow us, he'll eat up all the food before we can even eat."**

 **"** **He's coming with us whether you like it or not! Arrogant bitch!"**

That was the first time I had said a swear word in front of the young dinosaurs. Cera was making my blood boil and it was about time I stop capping my temper. If she wants to see my true colors, then I'll give her my true colors. I will still be Mister Nice Guy to the others but no more nice treatment for Cera. The old cold treatment was the only thing I'll give Cera, and if she boils me further, you bet I'll stab her in the throat with my bayonet and cook her for dinner.

 **"** **What did you just call me?"** she growled at me.

 **"** **Doesn't matter."** I drew my OKC-3S bayonet to make a point. **"Try mouthing me off again and you'll become Fillet-O-Triceratops."**

Our argument ended after I finished my words. Neither of us wanted any bloodshed and Cera decided she'd much rather live than defend her ego. As for Spike coming with us, she had no choice but to let him come since I wasn't about to listen to her words any time soon.


	10. Father And Son

**Chapter 8**

 **Father And Son**

The group now dubbed the "combined herd" by Littlefoot and I continued its journey through the mysterious beyond. Boredom was starting to get the better of me and I was struggling to keep insanity at bay. Playing "Plague Inc. Evolved" was a no go since I had to be on alert for predators and replicating musical instruments was a waste since I didn't know how to play any of them. I had to make do with what I had and I quickly figured out what.

My OKC-3S bayonet had been used to cut a path earlier and while it wasn't heavy duty work, I figured I'd give it a quick sharpening with the ceramic coated aluminum honing rod included in the rear of the scabbard. To tell you the truth, I was rather inexperienced with the honing rod. Previously I would sharpen all of the knives I owned with a pull through sharpener. Fortunately for me, I didn't get cut by my blade, which had a double edge instead of the usual single edge with a dull top blade.

Out of boredom, I affixed my bayonet onto my M4A1 Carbine. Most of you are probably screaming for me to take it off since the bayonet blocked the barrel of the M203 Grenade Launcher but calm down. It's not a permanent attachment. It's just there because I affixed it there out of boredom. I'm not dumb enough to place a bayonet over a grenade launcher.

Roughly two hours of trekking later, the combined herd found itself near the edge of a small stream connected to a waterfall.

 **"** **Planets grow where there is lots of water…"** Littlefoot deducted. **"So if we follow the water, we're bound to find green food."**

 **"** **You're quite intelligent for your species Littlefoot, I must admit."** I remarked. **"You're five years old and you know crucial survival information."**

 **"** **It was nothing dad…"**

A mere mention of the word "dad" and we earned glares from everyone except for Ducky. Except for her, no one knew I was Littlefoot's adoptive father, not even Cera did. So far, I had yet to reveal my status as adoptive father to anyone and the only reason Ducky ever knew of this was because she happened to be at the right place at the right time. With the secret already out, I had no choice but to explain the whole situation.

I told them about the death of Littlefoot's Mother and that I found him crying beside his mother's corpse and adopted him out of sympathy. Littlefoot smiled at me and I smiled back at him before rallying the group. The young Apatosaurus had already shown us how to find vegetation and all we had to do now was follow the water downstream till we hit green.

Eventually we found a small cave of sorts and on the other end was a round cluster of tightly packed trees. Food at last for all of us!

 **"** **The Great Valley!"** Cera shouted with glee. **"I found it! I found it!"**

What the… I don't even have words to describe the stupidity of her statement. The legend said the Great Valley had fresh flowing waters and tons of greenery, not just a bloody cluster of them. Unfortunately for us, Cera's stupidity darn near cost us a meal. Barely a few seconds after she shouted the words "Great Valley", a herd of Diplodocuses came charging towards us.

Littlefoot and I were the first to sense the danger and we charged out of the cave, closely followed by Cera and Petrie(who was perched on top of Cera). Ducky and Spike were the last to leave since Spike was a bit slow in his reaction. Both of them were milliseconds away from being crushed. As soon as they got out, the Diplodocuses burst out from the cave, charging in the direction of the cluster of leaves.

We could only watch helplessly as they began depleting the greenery. Cera snorted in frustration, totally unaware of her stupidity.

 **"** **They're eating our food!"** she shouted. **"Look at them! They're so greedy! What about me? I'm still hungry!"**

 **"** **You're hungry?"** Petrie remarked in frustration. **"Me hungry all the way to the top!"**

 **"** **Blame Cera for her stupidity."** I piped up.

 **"** **What did you say, Bryan?"**

 **"** **IF YOU HADN'T YELLED "THE GREAT VALLEY" AT THE TOP OF YOUR LUNGS, THOSE SAUROPODS MIGHT HAVE NEVER COME HERE!"**

 **"** **THIS IS THE GREAT VALLEY!"**

 **"** **IT AIN'T, CERA!"** I sighed in frustration. **"The Great Valley has more greenery than this cluster of trees. And fresh water should be flowing everywhere."**

 **"** **You actually believe in the myth?!"**

 **"** **Better than believing you!"**

 **"** **Cut it, both of you."** Littlefoot glared at me. **"Look dad, I know you're frustrated but arguing is not the way to go. Right now we have to remain united. You personally said it before. United we stand, divided we fall."**

I sighed. My adoptive son did have a point. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend". And in this case, my enemy was Sharptooth, and Cera was indeed Sharptooth's enemy. If I wanted to live through this with my adoptive son, I needed to keep a level head and work with her at least till we were in the clear.

 **"** **Come on."** Littlefoot rallied. **"The herd has left. Let's see if they left any green food behind."**

At a tender age of five, Littlefoot was already showing his side as a leader. Come to think of it, I think he'll make a fine leader when he grows up. I followed him down into the now depleted cluster of trees with Ducky, Petrie, Spike, and Cera in tow. From the corner of my ear, I could hear Cera snorting in displeasure. Keep your sanity together Bryan, we need to stay together as a herd to dissuade predators from attacking.

My trigger finger was resting on the receiver of my M4A1 Carbine, nowhere near the trigger guard. With a flick of my thumb, I flicked my rifle from "Semi" back to "Safe" since I wasn't expecting predators. Just then, Littlefoot shouted to us. He had found a tree still fresh with leaves. It wasn't fully grown and thus, the adult Diplodocuses had missed it.

There was just one problem. Despite it not being a fully grown tree, the leaves were still too high up for either of us to reach. Unlike last time, I figure I would let the young ones solve the problem themselves. Littlefoot braced himself against the tree. Ducky knew what he had in mind and she climbed onto his head with Petrie on her own head. Littlefoot then signals to Spike, who begins to push them up. Where is Cera you might ask? Well, she was sitting on the side laughing her ass off.

My gut told me they were bound to fall down sooner or later and I told them to dismount while I climbed the tree to grab the leaves myself. Using my bayonet as a machete once again, I began chopping the leaves down till the tree was bare. With the tree depleted, I leapt down and literally dive-bombed into the pile of leaves below. Out of curiosity, I decide to try the leaves myself.

Surprise surprise, they didn't taste as bad as I had expected. The leaves had a rough texture but they had certain sweetness in them. Of course, I needed more than just greens to sustain myself. I was an omnivore and I needed a protein source. That would either be meat, milk, or nuts. But I couldn't eat meat, not in front of these youngsters anyways.

Well, genius me always has an idea and that idea was the replicator. I could replicate Protein Powder and get my protein from there. Eating powder directly was stupid and I replicated myself some mashed potato with protein powder. It doesn't taste as good but at least I won't have to eat meat. Night was creeping closer and closer towards us and I figured it was about time the young ones went to sleep.

Turns out all of them had the same idea but not in the way I had expected. Cera and Littlefoot both headed towards different sleeping spots as if silently questioning who the others would be loyal to.

 **"** **I know my way to go."** Cera smugly said. **"And I'm not afraid of Sharptooth! I hope he doesn't EAT any of you."**

Her words fail to move me, but she did successfully coax Ducky, Petrie, and Spike over to her side. As I prepared to climb up a tree to rest, I noticed Littlefoot all alone in his sleeping hole, his head low on the ground with a gloomy expression. Well, if no one's gonna give him company, then I'll do it. He is my adoptive son, and he was the sole reason I kept fighting.

Loss was something I had witnessed too much. Some say you can move on from loss, but let me tell you this. The more loss you witness or experience, the harder it is for you to move on with your life. Right now, I was literally at the breaking point. If for one reason or another Littlefoot died, I might not be able to move on anymore.

 **"** **Hey."** I leapt into the hole.

 **"** **Oh, dad…"** he gloomily responded. **"Why didn't you join them?"**

 **"** **You're my adoptive son. I can't leave you alone like this."**

 **"** **It's okay dad. I won't be moved that easily."**

 **"** **Filius est pars patris, my son."**

 **"** **What does that mean?"**

 **"** **A son is part of the father."**

Both of us hugged each other in an embrace. If the others were unwilling to follow us then so be it, as long as we got ourselves to the Great Valley. I knew we needed all the rest we could get and I played a song titled "If We Hold On Together" on my phone and I sang it to my adoptive son while he closed his eyes.

 _Don't lose your way_  
 _with each passing day_  
 _You've come so far_  
 _Don't throw it away_  
 _Live believing_  
 _Dreams are for weaving_  
 _Wonders are waiting to start_  
 _Live your story_  
 _Faith, hope and glory_  
 _Hold to the truth in your heart_

 _If we hold on together_  
 _I know our dreams will never die_  
 _Dreams see us through to forever_  
 _Where clouds roll by, for you and I_

 _Souls in the wind_  
 _Must learn how to bend_  
 _Seek out a star_  
 _Hold on to the end_

 _Valley...Mountain_  
 _There is a fountain_  
 _Washes our tears all away_  
 _Words are swaying_  
 _Someone is praying_  
 _Please let us come home to stay_

 _If we hold on together_  
 _I know our dreams will never die_  
 _Dreams see us through to forever_  
 _Where clouds roll by_  
 _For you and I_

 _When we are out there in the dark_  
 _We'll dream about the sun_  
 _In the dark we'll feel the light_  
 _Warm our hearts...everyone_

 _If we hold on together_  
 _I know our dreams will never die_  
 _Dreams see us through to forever_  
 _As high as souls can fly_  
 _The clouds roll by_  
 _For you and I_

When I finished singing, Littlefoot had already dozed off. A smile could be seen on his face, a very warm smile at that.


	11. Divided

**Chapter 9**

 **Divided**

The sun slowly rose over the horizon, illuminating the land with its rays. Yet every single one of us were still asleep. All of us were exhausted from our days of non-stop travelling and neither of us were about to skip an opportunity for a good rest. Littlefoot and I were curled up together, with him resting his neck on my chest while I hugged my M4A1 Carbine(I had cleared the chamber the night before and the selector was set to "Safe").

Just then, a faint tremble awoke me. Another Earthquake? No. The trembles were made by a two legged creature, and it was not a supersized Saurolophus. I peeked over the hole and found myself staring at Sharptooth, who was slowly advancing on our position. Cera and the others were sleeping roughly thirty yards in front of us and they were in great danger of being eaten alive.

Sure, she was an arrogant bitch and I didn't really care for her but I still had a conscience. That and the fact Ducky, Petrie, and Spike were clustered beside her made me act. I got up and kicked Littlefoot in the side, jolting him awake before running towards Cera where I kicked her as well. She woke up and immediately noticed the trembles. Within seconds, both Cera and I woke the others up and we all regrouped inside Littlefoot's sleeping hole.

 **"** **Shit…"** I swore. **"Is that Sharptooth?"**

 **"** **I think Cera might have been right…"** Littlefoot bit his lips.

 **"** **Run! All of you! I'll keep him at bay!"**

 **"** **Listen Bryan!"** Cera shouted to me. **"Even you and your powerful weapons cannot stop Sharptooth. He's too big for all of us to handle."**

 **"** **JUST RUN!"**

At this point, all of them thought I had lost my mind and they ran. Even Littlefoot turned tail and ran for his life. I chambered a fresh cartridge into my M4A1 Carbine and flicked the selector to "Semi" before placing the crosshairs on his head. This was the first time I had taken on a Tyrannosaurus Rex and I did not know what to expect. A headshot against a human was almost 100% fatal and since Sharptooth's head was bigger than a giant watermelon, I figured I would shoot there.

When he got within three hundred yards, I began plinking away at his head with my carbine. Lead penetrated his face, causing a stinging sensation. He roared in anger and picked up the pace, charging towards me and aiming to snap me up in a single bite. I continued to shoot, targeting both his head and chest in an effort to stop him. In the end, it was a futile attempt to stop the giant behemoth.

The minute he got within fifty yards, I took off running in the direction of the young dinosaurs where I saw them struggling to squeeze through a small cave. Ducky, Petrie, and Spike were already through but Cera was having a panic attack. I told Littlefoot to charge in after her and he did exactly that. Both of them burst out the other side while I casually walked through.

As soon as I reached the other side, I swung around and got a shock of my life. Millimeters away, Sharptooth's big(and smelly)mouth was snapping away at me. I darn near fainted from the stench but I managed to stay conscious. Sharptooth was trapped, and that meant we were safe. More good news came in the form of a rather large Sauropod shaped monolith to our right. Littlefoot remembered it from the "Great Valley Riddle" his mother had told him and he jumped with glee.

 **"** **It's the great rock which looks like a Longneck!"** he exclaimed. **"We're going the right way! The way to the Great Valley!"**

* * *

We trekked as far as we could and as fast as we could, daring not to stop. Sharptooth being stuck in the cave was temporary and for all intents and purposes, he could already be free and after us. My M4A1 had a fresh magazine loaded and the selector was on "Semi" instead of the usual "Safe". By now we were in a sandy desert like region where volcanic ash fell.

Seems like a cakewalk compared to our previous treks right? Big mistake. Barely a few minutes later, we found ourselves near the foot of a rocky slope which we proceeded climbing. Being an avid outdoorsman, I thought I would scale the cliff without issue but halfway up, I found myself panting and struggling for breath. I'm not the only one struggling to go on. Cera and the others were too. Even Littlefoot, who had taken the lead and was a million miles ahead of me, was struggling to push himself upwards.

He spun around and I could see a disappointed look on his face as he glared at us from afar.

 **"** **Come on, get up!"** he ushered. **"Oh we can't quit now! What if the Great Valley is just over the top of these rocks?"**

Watch your mouth there Littlefoot, I wouldn't say that if I were you. According the riddle, we had to past a Sauropod shaped monolith and volcanoes before we arrived at the Great Valley. Dread filled my body and each step made me feel more anxious. Something told me the other side of this cliff would be nothing more than wasteland. Truth be told, my instincts proved to be spot on.

The minute we reached the top of the hill, a sandstorm temporarily blinded us. Slowly it cleared, revealing… Nothing. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! No greenery, no fresh flowing water, not even the dinosaur herds which were supposed to be headed towards the Great Valley. Littlefoot's words seem more like a false prediction more than anything else. Add that with the sight of barren wasteland, it was demoralizing just being there.

At that moment, Cera began speaking her mind with no care for sensitivity or others' feelings.

 **"** **This is your Great Valley? You're crazy!"** she scowled. **"I'm, leaving!"**

 **"** **But Cera!"** Littlefoot pleaded. **"We have to follow the bright circle!"**

 **"** **I'm taking the easy way for once."**

 **"** **But it's the wrong way!"**

 **"** **Who said it?"**

 **"** **My mother!"**

 **"** **Then she was probably a stupid flathead like you."**

Oh, she did NOT just went there. Insulting Littlefoot was already bad enough, but insulting his mother? My blood was boiling and I was on the edge of losing control over my emotions. Littlefoot was also enraged but Cera refused to take her words back since she had an ego the size of Jupiter. The end result? A brawl broke out between the two young dinosaurs.

At that moment I clenched my fists and slowly made my way down, mentally drowning out Ducky and Petrie's cries to stop. When I reached the bottom, Littlefoot and Cera's brawl was at its most intense point. Cera's ramming attacked had missed and she got smacked in the face by Littlefoot, who whipped her with his tail. I immediately got between the two youngsters and glared at Cera.

 **"** **You stay out of this!"** Cera shouted to me.

 **"** **Not if my adoptive son is involved. Besides, I LOVE hitting bitches!"**

Cera charges me in an attempt to tackle me to the ground but I dodged out of the way and countered with my fist. I punched her several times in the face and began going on the offensive. Using a mix of martial arts(mostly Krav Maga)I had learnt in the past, I began assaulting Cera.

She had no chance of retaliating, not if I was attacking her. I did not care about the others shouting. All I did was beat and punch the living daylights out of her. I tackled her to the ground and drew my OKC-3S bayonet. She screamed as I swung the bayonet but millimeters away from her throat, my hand came to a sudden stop. A force was stopping me from stabbing her throat and I couldn't overcome it no matter what.

Maybe it was an act of god or just my conscience kicking in. Whatever the reason, I backed away from her and raised my M4A1, the sights of the weapon aligned with her head.

 **"** **Dare to mouth me off again?"** I coldly taunted. **"You're such a puny fighter."**

 **"** **N-No…"** she nervously replied. **"P-Please, don't kill me."**

 **"** **Hehehehehe, coward."**

 **"** **Stop it, dad."** Littlefoot piped up. **"She's not worth a bullet."**

 **"** **Mmm… You might be right."**

A defeated Cera got back onto her feet and began trekking towards her supposed "easy way" while Littlefoot swung back in the direction of the sun. I was about to follow Littlefoot when I noticed his friends all tailing Cera. Never in my life would I foresee them as traitors but here they were, following the arrogant Triceratops instead of the intelligent Apatosaurus, even if he knew the way.

Fine then. If they left the herd, I had less lives to protect. A lightened workload and my adoptive son by my side, seems like a pretty decent deal to me. I trotted alongside Littlefoot, who was frowning. Tears were flowing from his eyes, probably from the hurt he received from Cera's insulting his mother.

 **"** **Littlefoot."** I placed my hand on the young Apatosaurus' neck. **"I'm still here."**

 **"** **You should've followed her."** He said. **"Everyone trusts Cera but me."**

 **"** **I don't trust her either Littlefoot. Besides, you're my adoptive son."**

 **"** **To tell you the truth, I don't even know if I'm actually following the riddle correctly."**

 **"** **I've deciphered it for you. It means, follow the sun westwards till you pass a Sauropod monolith and pass volcanoes. I know where we should be headed."**

 **"** **How 'bout you lead the way then?"**

 **"** **Alright."**


	12. Reinforcements

**Chapter 10**

 **Reinforcements**

Littlefoot and I were en route to the Great Valley when an Apatosaurus shaped cloud appeared above us, quickly followed by the sound of a motherly voice calling out to her young. This was no ordinary cloud; it was the spirit of Littlefoot's mother manifesting herself in front of us. I was awestruck. Never would I have imagined that I would one day come face to face with the supermundane.

She craned her head over to me and I bowed down to her as a sign of respect. She gave me a nod, seemingly to approve of me adopting Littlefoot before turning her head towards her son.

 **"** **Mother…"** Littlefoot spoke. **"I-I tried to do what you told me… But it's just too hard. I think I'll never be able to find the Great Valley."**

Upon hearing his words, I shook my head in disapproval. We've come so far and he chooses to quit? His mother seems to have acknowledged my thoughts and she begins moving, prompting Littlefoot and I to give chase. Little did we know she was here not just to boost morale, but also to guide us on the final leg of our journey. We followed her spirit up a slope and through a cave.

At the end of the cave, we thought it was a dead-end. Slowly, the smog faded, revealing darkness. A pillar of light shot down from the cloud, illuminating a small river. Slowly, a waterfall is illuminated in the darkness and soon, all the surrounding area was illuminated and the darkness faded. Low and behold, right in front of us was the Great Valley.

Our goal, our dream, our ultimate destination. Whatever you want to call it, the Great Valley was within sight. We could even see the dinosaur herds from the ledge where we stood and all we had to do to reach them was to walk down a path. Wait a second… If our way was the right way. That means… Cera and the others were most likely in shit so deep they forgot what the sun looks like.

How could we possibly sleep at night, knowing fully that they died because we did not fulfill our duties as herd leader and herd protector. Both Littlefoot and I agreed we should go back for them. But we couldn't go back out like that, not unless we got ourselves reinforcements. Sharptooth was still well and alive after our last encounter and right now, we had to be prepared should he decide to target us.

 **"** **Littlefoot."** I said to him. **"You stay right here. I'll get the adults and when we are assembled, we'll go out and find the others."**

 **"** **We don't have time, dad!"** he said in an anxious tone. **"Every second may be our last. We have to go and find them NOW."**

 **"** **And what? Get our asses eaten by Sharptooth?"**

 **"** **You can take him."**

 **"** **I can't! There is a reason why I ran."**

 **"** **Dad just…"**

Before Littlefoot could finish his sentence, I was already running down the path at full speed. I needed to get backup and I needed to get backup quick. Since yelling was going to take an awfully long time, I figured I would use a little extra force. I banged myself against the foot of an elderly male Apatosaurus, who incidentally happens to be Littlefoot's grandfather.

 **"** **Who are you?"** he craned his head down towards me.

 **"** **No time to explain."** I panted. **"I know… I know where the young ones are."**

 **"** **Young ones?"**

 **"** **Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky…"**

I didn't need to name all of them. Just three was enough to propel the elderly Apatosaurus into action and he immediately alerted his mate and other adult residents of the Great Valley. A few stayed back to care for their own young while the others followed me towards the entrance. When I arrived, Littlefoot was nowhere to be found. There were tracks leading out of the valley but no sign of the little guy.

Where was he? Did he go back out without my permission? Whatever the case, we needed to locate him and his friends. I drew my pistol and fired it twice in the air to rally the adult dinosaurs and we marched out of the Great Valley. Our mission, to save Littlefoot and his friends from Sharptooth and possibly other predators as well.


	13. The Final Confrontation

**Chapter 11**

 **The Final Confrontation**

Thundering footsteps and trembles in the ground mark our entrance into the battlefield. We searched high and low for the young ones but couldn't find them anywhere. All the previous paths we had travelled were coming up empty. Then I remembered Cera and the others going the "easy way". Littlefoot must've gone down the same path to save them. No second thoughts were needed. The adults and I charged down the "easy way" in an attempt to locate them.

No more than a few minutes of trekking, and we found ourselves in volcano country. Lava was oozing everywhere, and there were some areas where I had to ride on the backs of the adults to cross. It was hard for me to imagine the young ones being able to traverse terrain like this without support. Well, they were determined travellers after all, and all of them were smart. Clearly they must've found a way to traverse the land.

 **"** **Cave!"** I shouted before pointing towards a cave to our twelve o' clock. **"Might be a good place to try looking."**

 **"** **Are we supposed to trust you, weird creature?"** a Triceratops(Cera's Father)by the name of Topsy grunted. **"We don't know you and you don't know us."**

 **"** **I do know the names of your children. If you want to find them, better listen."**

Based on years of experience, I knew a cave was the most likely place anyone without shelter building knowledge would take shelter. Rain could not soak them, and all it took was a bit of rock moving and water would not flow in and cause the ground to be damp. There was also an advantage of being able to seek shelter from… I dunno… Hail, and meteorites, and… other things I don't want to talk about.

We decide to split up into two groups and search the area. Littlefoot's Grandfather led one group while Cera's father led the other. I leapt down from ole' gramps' back to assist in the search. A few mutated Pachys came at us but I shot them down, much to the surprise of the adult dinosaurs. Those mutated Pachys were worrying the adults since there was a good chance the children might've been eaten by them.

Fortunately for us, no blood puddles or splatters were found. All of us regrouped underneath a waterfall empty-handed. The adults were frustrated, but so was I. I sat down near a rock and sighed, placing my hand on my forehead.

 **"** **You sure we're going the right way?"** an elderly female Apatosaurus(Littlefoot's Grandmother)asked.

 **"** **It's where they should've gone."** I drew my OKC-3S bayonet and glared at it. **"If they aren't here then I have no idea where they went…"**

Just as all hope seemed lost, we heard screams coming from the distance. Those screams sounded an awful lot like that of the young ones and I quickly rallied the adult dinosaurs. We raced to the end of the cave where we found ourselves in croc infested water. Dozens of Deinosuchuses and Sarcosuchuses charged us from the banks and we were forced to fight our way through.

Sauropods used their weight to their advantage while Triceratopses and other dinosaurs used their defensive weaponry. I on the other hand, fired away with my M4A1 Carbine at any given opportunity. At the time, we had no idea those crocs outnumbered us five to one. Nevertheless, we fought on and thanks to dumb luck, we killed most of them and forced the survivors on a retreat.

Now unimpeded, we proceed forwards and exited the cave where we found ourselves still in water. A roar caught our attention and we found the source. Directly in front of us was Sharptooth and he had the young ones pinned down on a tall ledge. They had unsuccessfully tried to push the rock onto the bastard's face and they were out of options and cornered.

I immediately ordered a full brunt assault on the behemoth and the adults went for it. Sauropods whipped him with their long tails while Triceratopses rammed him with their heads, stabbing their horns into his body. Other Great Valley residents also joined the fight, hitting Sharptooth with weapons of their own. From my previous engagement, I knew 5.56 caliber bullets weren't going to do jack against Sharptooth and I was moving to a ranged position where I could rain forty mike mike up his ass.

A bush situated roughly 15 meters away from the behemoth fitted my needs and I took position there. By now it is worth mentioning that there is one crucial thing I did not mount on my M4A1 Carbine. Whenever a M203 was mounted underneath, users would mount a grenade launcher sight. I had ditched the GL sight since I already had plenty of accessories on my gun.

With no sight, I could no aim. All I could do was eyeball my target, using my scope as a guidance.

 _THUMP_

 _WHAAM_

The moon, planet, and stars aligned. God blew on the grenade and I gut-shot the bastard. Ironically, the M406 grenade actually hit lower than where I had anticipated but it still struck his body. Sharptooth spun around towards me and snarled but I took the opportunity to launch another M406 grenade, this time aiming a little higher to compensate for distance.

 _THUMP_

 _WHAAM_

When the smoke cleared, I realized the extent of the damage I had done to him. My grenade had literally blown his neck to bits. His windpipe, carotid artery, and everything in the neck was gone. Sharptooth coughed, and stumbled backwards before smashing headfirst into the water. He sank down into the abyss, never to be seen again. Suddenly, and for no apparent reason, Cera decides this was the best opportunity to attack Littlefoot.

She smashed into him, sending him over the ledge and into the water. The adults gasped in shock and my eyes widened in horror. For a few tense seconds, all we could see was bubbles and nothing else. Instinct took over me and I dove under to pull him up. I was a certified scuba diver, and I did do free-diving awhile back so navigating water while holding my breath wasn't really an issue.

I found him, struggling and on the verge of quitting. He was roughly two meters under but I pulled him back up to the surface where he coughed and gasped for air. With some assistance from his grandfather, I dragged Littlefoot out of the water and back to safety where I allowed him to catch his breath.

 **"** **Thanks dad…"** he choked. **"I didn't know you could swim."**

 **"** **Well now you do."** I smiled. **"How does that water taste?"**

 **"** **Fan freaking tastic!"**

Both of us shared a good laugh from my sarcasm while Littlefoot's grandparents provided warmth by placing their bodies against him(dinosaurs, contrary to popular belief, are actually warm blooded). I looked over to my right and I noticed Topsy "talking" with Cera. She was in deep trouble for her actions, and I'm sure a good scolding from her father would do good.


	14. A Two Year Sentence

**Chapter 12**

 **A Two Year Sentence**

As the old Chinese saying goes, "you can't contain a fire with paper". Eventually the truth would come out, and all of us would have to face the consequences. Like me giving Cera an epic beating for example. Littlefoot's friends were the first to break news about the incident, and Littlefoot himself acknowledged my rather brutal act. Faced with overwhelming evidence, I was forced to confess.

I told them the truth, no lies of course. The reason I gave Cera a beating was because she had been making my blood boil over the course of our travel and that I lost it when she insulted Littlefoot's Mother. Topsy attempted to make me apologize so Cera would at least regain some of her dignity(as a tough girl)but I turned the tables. If she did not apologize to Littlefoot for her insult, then I would not apologize to her.

 **"** **You do realize we have rules in the Great Valley, right?"** Topsy reminded.

 **"** **I understand, Mr. Topsy."** I replied. **"But there are times where we need to teach young ones a lesson. Unless she apologizes, I won't."**

 **"** **What if you were faced with a two year sentence?"**

Everyone gasped in shock. Was Topsy really using the threat of sentence to pressure me into apologizing?

 **"** **Fine then."** I said. **"Two years isn't that long. Littlefoot's grandparents can care for him in that time span."**

 **"** **Dad, no…"**

And again, I earn glares from Littlefoot saying "dad". This time the adults were glaring at me in shock. I had yet to reveal to them that I had adopted Littlefoot. The most shocked of them all were Littlefoot's grandparents.

 **"** **Young one, you might want to drop the word."** I said. **"You have maternal grandparents now. My duties as an adoptive father are relieved."**

 **"** **But you said you would be with me to the end."** He exclaimed. **"Why are you breaking that promise now?"**

 **"** **Back then I didn't realize your grandparents were still alive. It'd be really inappropriate to take over your life without your family members' permission."**

 **"** **But I really want a parent. Grandparents are great but, having a parent is just very different. I know you won't understand because you haven't lost a parent while you were young. By loss I mean loss as a result of death."**

 **"** **You might want to ask your grandparents on that."**

Both elderly Apatosauruses looked at each other while their grandson glared at them with a "pleading" look on his face. Seeing that I had done such a good job to the point of Littlefoot being unwilling to leave me, they decide to allow me to continue my role as adoptive father. In addition to that, they also made me my son in law. Despite this, my sentence still stands.

Unless I apologize to Cera, I was to be banished from the Great Valley for two years. Apologizing wasn't a big deal, IF the individual I'm apologizing to wasn't Cera. SHE insulted Littlefoot's Mother, and it was her responsibility to apologize to Littlefoot. I glared at Topsy and shook my head.

 **"** **Your choice old man."** I said. **"Cera apologizes and I do the same. Or, you can continue down your path and I'll spend two extra years out in the wild."**

 **"** **I choose my own path."** He grunted. **"Go on, leave us."**

 **"** **Mr. Threehorn, I think you're being unreasonable."** Littlefoot's Grandfather attempted to plead against the sentence.

 **"** **Let him be, sir."** I looked over the horizon. **"I deserve the sentence anyways for pummeling Cera."**

 **"** **What would Littlefoot do? Two years without his adoptive father by his side will be really hard on him."**

 **"** **I understand. And I know it'll be hard for Littlefoot, both physically and emotionally. But for the sake of a young one who has yet to learn the basics of manners, I have no other option left."**

I turn towards Littlefoot, who was crying at this point. Tears were flowing freely from his eyes and I could tell he was reluctant to leave me. But what could I do? Faced with a grumpy Triceratops and his rather rude daughter, there was no way I was choosing to apologize.

 **"** **Littlefoot, you have to remain strong."** I smiled. **"Two years isn't as long as you'd think."**

 **"** **Really?"** he sobbed.

 **"** **You're talking to a man with years of experience."**

 **"** **I'll miss you dad."**

Both of us hugged each other in an embrace. It was our final goodbye. Two years might not seem long, but it'll pass very slowly for someone who has to suffer. And the sufferer was Littlefoot. I might be banished for two years, but I could travel freely in the mysterious beyond, making contact with new species and doing research. Littlefoot couldn't. He had to wait two years before he could see me again.

All meetings must come to an end, and this one was no exception. I let go of Littlefoot and began my long trek, away from the entrance and away from the combined herd.

* * *

 **As the credits roll, scenes of Littlefoot and Bryan begin playing. Accompanying the scenes was a song playing in the background titled "My Son" adapted from "My Love" by Westlife.**

 _ **A barren land, a glaring sun**_

 _ **A hole inside my heart**_  
 _ **I'm all alone, the area's getting hotter.**_

 _ **I wonder how, I wonder why,**_  
 _ **I wonder where they are**_  
 _ **The days we had, the songs we sang together, oh, yeah.**_

 _ **And oh my son, I'm holding on forever**_  
 _ **Reaching for the son that seems so far**_

 _ **So I say a little prayer**_  
 _ **And hope my dreams will take me there**_  
 _ **Where the skies are blue to see you once again, my son.**_  
 _ **Over seas from coast to coast**_  
 _ **To find the place I love the most**_  
 _ **Where the fields are green to see you once again, my son.**_

 _ **I try to trek, I go to check**_  
 _ **I'm clutching my carbine in my hands**_  
 _ **But I can't stop to keep myself from thinking, oh, no.**_

 _ **I wonder how, I wonder why,**_  
 _ **I wonder where they are**_  
 _ **The days we had, the songs we sang together, oh, yeah.**_

 _ **And oh my son, I'm holding on forever**_  
 _ **Reaching for the son that seems so far**_

 _ **So I say a little prayer**_  
 _ **And hope my dreams will take me there**_  
 _ **Where the skies are blue to see you once again, my son.**_  
 _ **Over seas from coast to coast**_  
 _ **To find the place I love the most**_  
 _ **Where the fields are green to see you once again,**_

 _ **To hold you in my arms,**_  
 _ **To promise you my son,**_  
 _ **To tell you from the heart,**_  
 _ **You're all I'm thinking of.**_

 _ **Reaching for the son that seems so far**_

 _ **So I say a little prayer**_  
 _ **And hope my dreams will take me there**_  
 _ **Where the skies are blue to see you once again, my son.**_  
 _ **Over seas from coast to coast**_  
 _ **To find the place I love the most**_  
 _ **Where the fields are green to see you once again, my son.**_

 _ **Say a little prayer (my sweet son)**_  
 _ **Dreams will take me there**_  
 _ **Where the skies are blue (woah, yeah) to see you once again, my son. (oh, my son)**_  
 _ **Over seas from coast to coast**_  
 _ **To find the place I love the most**_  
 _ **Where the fields are green to see you once again, my son.**_

 **At the end of the flashback, Littlefoot could be seen standing on top of the ledge he and Bryan had stood on when they first arrived in the Great Valley. He looks up into the sky, tears welling up in his eyes. Two clouds appeared, one was Sauropod shaped while the other was shaped like a human, dressed in combat gear and clutching an M4A1 Carbine. Both clouds symbolized the two individuals he missed. His mother and his adoptive father.**


End file.
